


I’ll See Ya When I See Ya

by england_is_mine



Category: Arctic Monkeys, Last Shadow Puppets
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, M/M, Makeup, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:08:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25409686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/england_is_mine/pseuds/england_is_mine
Summary: Alex tries to resolve things with Miles after he hears his new song.
Relationships: Miles Kane/Alex Turner
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	I’ll See Ya When I See Ya

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all, hope everyone is safe and okay. My first one in a while- it’s a little short but I’ve got two others on the go. Sit tight, and thanks for reading! 
> 
> Find me on Tumblr @england-is-mine :)
> 
> This is a work of fiction. Although resemblance to real people is implied, any actions they depict are not real. Their privacy must be respected at all times.

Miles’ phone was ringing. He stared at the device from the sofa, cold and miserably, chewing the inside of his bottom lip. The days had started to blend together, and the lack of interaction he was having was killing him. It doesn’t matter how many times a day you phone your mum; it’s just not the same. 

He wanted to smash the thing, but couldn’t bring himself to, let alone the thought of the number not ringing back. Eventually, the conflicting thoughts got so much that he forced himself to allow the voice to speak, and put it on speaker.

“Hi,” Miles murmured.

“Hi,” Alex spoke back.

It was a warily comfortable silence that followed; they’d visited this before. It would seem as if all the words possible had already been spoken.

“I heard your song,” Alex spoke quietly, and Miles wondered where he was. It was four o’clock, so too early for dinner. The garden, maybe? Alone, perhaps? His words filled Miles with a kind of dread that forced him only to hum in response. “It’s good,” 

Miles couldn’t help but laugh slightly at that. It was funny, after all. “What?”

“Nothin, Al. How are y?” He was quick to change the subject. He had a habit of making you uncomfortable with the kindest requests by the tone in his voice; as if you were drinking the poison, not knowing it was killing you.

“I er, I’m good fanks, how are you?” Alex ushered back, clearly taken aback.

“Good,”

“Good,” It really had become awkward now.

“Did y’ want me?” Miles pried, an assertive tone.

“I er, well, to be honest Mi I wanted to ask when you were gonna stop writing songs about me, but, I er- I don’t think you will,” Alex asked with the hint of a joke in his voice.

“You are ridiculous, you know tha?”

“Hmm,” Alex replied, knowing it.

“Is that all you wanted?”

“I- no, I- I wanted to make sure you’re okay,”

“Well, I think you’ve got y’ answer, haven’t y?” The whole time, Miles wasn’t aggressive. It was almost bittersweet.

“Miles don’t do this, please? We’ve talked about this,”

“I’m just wonderin’ when y’ gonna come down from space an’ quit ignorin’ me Al,”

Silence filled the line. 

“I- well- it’s awkward, y’know? Every time y’ look at me I just see how bad I’ve hurt ya, like it won’t go away. If you wanna be friends, Mi, truly, you’ve gotta stop tiptoein’ around me all the time,” he got out- and honesty Miles thought it was the most brutal Alex had been in a long time. He understood. As usual, Alex was right. And to avoid it, he hung up and shouted ‘dickhead’ as loud as he could at the phone. He didn’t know how much longer he could stand it. He didn’t know how much longer he could hit the same punching bag at the gym in compensation for losing his best friend. 

-

“Louise? I’m staying at Mi’s tonight,” Alex called to his girlfriend who was playing piano in the other room. He was already up and getting his coat anyway to avoid any sort of dispute. After some lengthy chat about how Miles had already been tested for the virus and that he was safe, he was set to go, not without stopping off at the local store to buy some flowers and Miles’ favourite bottle of gin. The selfish part of him thanked whatever deity had invented masks. They weren’t always foolproof, but on the most part he’d avoided the whole being recognised thing. 

He arrived at the dark blue door that had a golden knocker, admiring the flowers that led to it. He made sure to stay well back- whatever distance they were saying was suitable these days. 

“What the fuck do you want,” Miles said, rather than asked, folding his arms- although clearly taken aback. The mask came off. 

“To apologise,” Alex said, feeling more bold than perhaps he’d ever been.

“Y’ can’t come in, you know that, right? How do I know you’re clean?” At this, Alex took a piece of paper from his pocket and held it out at arms length for Miles to read.

“I’m all clear. From yesterday,” he confirmed. Miles huffed, knowing there was no way around this now, but also not being able to resist the first person to show up at his door in days.

“Fine. Get y’ ass in here. But you can’t bribe my love and affection with alcohol,” he began, making room for Alex to step inside. 

“I know, I know…” Alex muttered, making himself at home by putting the stuff down on the counter in the kitchen, before putting his hand on his hip. “I told Lou I was staying the night,” he began.

“You absolutely are not,” Miles replied.

“No- I- listen,” Alex sought out the words for what felt like an age. “I need you. And no- ‘am not tryna get into yer bed, I _need_ you. And you need me, yeah?” He spoke quickly with a nervousness unfamiliar to Miles and continued when he got no response. “I just- I don’t know how t’ make this better, Miles, apart from being here reyt now. I dunno what else to do,” he said, defeated. Miles looked away. 

“Get here,” was all he said, as monotone as ever.

“Wh,”

“Just get here,” slowly, Alex wandered over to him in his half-destroyed Converse trainers. When he was within arms length, Miles opened his arms for a hug, which Alex happily obliged, slotting his head comfortably into Miles’ neck. It’d been a while since Miles had smelt the shorter man’s hair, and held him so close. “I hate you, you know tha?” Miles said, only half joking, arms wrapped tightly around him. 

“Mm-hm,” Alex replied, understanding. 

In that moment it was mutually understood the need to go back to their old ways. The need to go back to the moments hunched over with laughter, crying until their stomachs were sore from all the funny moments they had spent making the other laugh on a tour bus in Arizona or at Alex’s place in LA. All the parties, the booze, the interviews, everything before the night that changed everything. Clearly distance hadn’t worked. Avoidance wouldn’t work. Maybe, just maybe, this would. Miles wanted to find himself comfortable enough to have Alex on his lap again, just being Alex, and not this strange version of himself that he’d become by abandoning Miles. He understood that some things weren’t always fair. That, as cringe as it was, all good things must come to an end.

So they spent the entire night watching shitty films and getting drunker than they should’ve done. At a distance, sure, but by the end of the night Alex’s legs were resting on Miles’ lap and it felt like a start. He looked into his eyes, visible by a TV screen only, not listening to a word he was saying on the importance of the sci-fi genre but rather knowing the man was his best friend and biggest supporter.

When he woke up the next morning, the absence of Alex next to him was made up for the sound of him in the bathroom brushing his teeth, having slept in the spare room. There was nobody next to him, sure, but one day there would be, and only God knows who. He woke up knowing one thing was next to him instead. A new freedom, and the strength to move on. 


End file.
